Firefighters' union calls for more support to tackle trauma

The union representing firefighters says they're under too much stress and aren't getting enough support to deal with it. Fire services say support for staff exposed to trauma is extensive. The union is accused of politicising the issue.

Transcript

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ELEANOR HALL: Now to that report warning that fire-fighters are being pushed to breaking point, not only by bushfires but by being called in to deal with other medical emergencies.

As well as putting out fires, fire-fighters are often the first to respond in traumatic situations like traffic accidents.

Now the New South Wales Government is considering a proposal to dispatch more fire-crews to medical emergencies.

The union says this would put too much pressure on its members, as Simon Lauder reports.

SIMON LAUDER: When two fire-fighters died battling a blaze in Victoria's north-east last week, it was a reminder of how dangerous life as a fire-fighter is.

A report on the psychological damage inflicted on fire-fighters says the risk of death and personal harm is just one of many hazards. The report by the Centre for Full Employment and Equity at the University of Newcastle was commissioned by the United Firefighters Union.

Its national secretary is Peter Marshall.

PETER MARSHALL: There was commission on the top of us receiving phone calls on a weekly basis, if not daily, of firefighters who were broken, in other words they got post-traumatic stress and they're at the end stage of, they're suffering really badly.

What we're trying to do is ascertain how bad that problem is and this research shows a significant problem.

SIMON LAUDER: The report is based on a review of earlier research and focus group interviews with fire-fighters in Victoria. It warns that fire-fighters may be more prone to suicide because they suffer from high levels of depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Peter Marshall says although fire-fighters have access to a peer support program, that's not adequate.

PETER MARSHALL: A fire-fighter could go on one shift during a day shift or a night shift, they could go to a suicide, later on and they'll later be responded to a car accident to have to cut people out. Then they could be responded to emergency medical response, which is a child death.

That is a very heavy toll to bear and the accumulated exposure we're seeing fire-fighters being pushed to the point where they are broken.

What we're trying to do is stop that.

SIMON LAUDER: And what's happening at the end of that shift, typically?

PETER MARSHALL: Well they go home and they're left to deal with it with their own devices. So whether they self medicate through alcohol, but what we're saying is we need support mechanisms to enable the fire-fighters to process it in a way where they don't end up ill and that's not currently there.

SIMON LAUDER: The report says the most stress fire-fighters face is when they are the first on the scene of a medical emergency.

The role fire-fighters play responding to emergencies was formalised in Victoria more than a decade ago. There's a proposal for a similar system in New South Wales. The New South Wales secretary of the Health Services Union, Gerard Hayes.

GERARD HAYES: I think it's an area that is just going to expose more people to a lot more stress.

SIMON LAUDER: Isn't it the case that this could lead to quicker responses on the ground?

GERARD HAYES: Oh look it could but it's also arguable the police have a very high response rate too. The fact of that matter is it's what you do when you get there and at the moment we have university trained paramedics, highly qualified, highly skilled, who need to be able to respond as quickly as possible as opposed to sending another agency to fill in a stop gap measure until such time as paramedics can be there.

SIMON LAUDER: The chief officer of Victoria's Country Fire Authority, Euan Ferguson, says psychological trauma is monitored very carefully by fire agencies and the CFA does all it can to help those affected.

EUAN FERGUSON: We have a standard range of support to our personnel front line that starts off with peer support and goes right through to psychological help if that's required.

Our industry works very closely with researchers and this field of medical expertise to make sure that the systems of support we have for our fire-fighters is top notch and the best available.

SIMON LAUDER: The union has released the study ahead of a report by the Victorian auditor general which is expected to show high rates of unplanned leave by fire-fighters. Victoria's Minister for Emergency Services, Peter Ryan, isn't available for interview.

In a written statement Mr Ryan says both the country and metropolitan fire services have extensive welfare support programs. He says the union has chosen to politicise its report rather than genuinely engage with the fire agencies.